Girdle and corset



April 1935- T. G. ROBINSON GIRDLE AND CORSET Filed Dec. 1, 1932 ATTORN Y6 Patented. Apr. 2, 1935 GIRDLE AND coass'r I Theodore G. Robinson, Ossining, N. Y. Application December 1, 1932, Serial No. 645,248

2 Claims.

This invention relates to wearing apparel and more especially to a garment of the snug-fitting corset type such for example, as girdles, corsets and corselettes.

The invention is particularly applicable to girdles or corsets of the slip-over or step-in type. Such garments, in order to be effective, must be tight fitting and therefore are difficult to put on and arrange in proper position and equally diflicult to remove.

An object of this invention is a slip-on or stepin garment of this type which may be expanded or increased in size for putting on and removing and easily and quickly reduced in size after having been put on and fitted with the desired tightness.

A further object of this invention is a slip-on or step-in garment wherein increased scope is given in design anduse of materials by avoiding the need of undue regard to means for putting it on or taking it off.

In a girdle or corset embodying the invention, one or more pair of overlapping slits are provided, one slit of each pair starting at the top edge of the garment and the other slit starting from the bottom edge of the garment. Any suitable means are provided for holding the edgesof the slits in juxtaposition when the garment is being worn and permitting quick separation of the slit edges either for the putting on or removal of the garment. This arrangement of slits permits expansion of the garment or increasing its size without actually opening the garment. With these expanded, the garment may be easily slipped on into wearing position, and the edges of the slits drawn together to contract the garment into form-fitting condition.

The ideal garment of the close-fitting corset type would be so designed as to give its wearer the trim, well-moulded figure which fashion demands. It would be constructed of strong material, practically non-stretchable and' without any give except at points where gussets or insertsof semi-elastic material are required to facilitate bodily movement when the garment is actually slightly elastic material for the body of thle garment combined with slits from the top of the garment, closed by various means, such as lacing,

on and taking ofi the garments is very great; and

those garments which are the best fitting and provide the most attractive figu're, frequently take an excessively long time to put on or remove, and require the wearer to struggle, strain and wriggle to bring them into position, and then struggle,

strain and wriggle again to remove them despite full use of the means provided for enlarging the garment during this process. Further, as these garments are usually worn next to the skin, the difliculties of putting them on are greatly increased when the body is still moist, just after a bath for example, or when removing themwhile the body is moist with perspiration.

Hitherto, no one has succeeded in devising any means for'increasing the size of such garments for the purpose of putting them on and taking them off whereby this can be accomplished easily, rapidly and conveniently under varied conditions and at the same time permit the preferred design and use of materials needed.

By the useof a garment constructed in accord-. ance with my invention, it is obvious that no compromise need be made either in the design or the materials used to produce an ideal garment. It is practicable through the means set forth herein to increase the circumferential size to any degree that may be required for putting on or taking off the garment and yet accomplish all the purposes desired by the ideal garment when it'is in wearing position.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the garment in wearing position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of closed condition; I

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the the garment in garment partially expanded, and

non-elastic material or material which is very slightly elastic and may be provided with suitable stays l3 and elastic inserts to permit the garment to snugly embrace the wearers body in different positions. I

In order to permit expansion of the garment to a larger overall circumference for ease in putting on and taking olf, one or more pairs of slits M are provided, one slit of each pair starting from the top edge II and the other slit starting from the bottomedge l2, the slits of each pair being of such length that theyoverlap each other. In order to 'close these slits, releasable fastening means I 5 are provided, such fastening means being located in the slits and being in the form of hooks or ball and socket a'nembers located on one side of the slit that engage with complementary A members on the opposite edges of the slit. These fastening members are engaged to close the slit or disengage to open the slit by movement of the slide l 6. Preferably, such fastening means are of the well-known slide fastener type, although any other suitable fastening means may be used for the purpose.

When the slits are closed, the garment is in the normal wearing condition and fits the body snugly as shown in Fig. 1. Whenit is desired to remove the garment, the slides I6 are moved upwardly and downwardly past each other to the position shown in Fig. 3. The overlapping relationship of the slits permits expansion of the garment or increase in' its size to a larger overall circumference which allows easy slipping off of the garment. Likewise with the slides IS in the position shown in Fig. 3, the garment may easily he slipped on and then brought into wearing condition simply by returning the slides l6 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

Preferably a flap member I! is provided on the inside of the garment toprotect the wearer's body from contact with the fastener members l5.

"oer which may be in the form of a tape sewn at Such protection may be'in the nature of a single flap fastened along one edge of the slit and extending across the fastening members and conveniently beyond the other edge of the slit as shown in Fig. 4. Preferably, also protective flaps l8 are provided for covering the outside surfaces of the connecting members;

As shown inFig. 5, there is preferably provided near the closed end of each slit a fastening memone end to the. inside of the garment on one side of the slide fastener and equipped with a hook- IS on its other end designed to engage an eye 20 sewn preferably to the front side of the flap on the other side of the slide fastener. By these fastening members the inner edges 'of the. slits may initially be drawn together part way to place the fastening members IS in such relation to each the slide IS on its slit-closing movement. Any

other suitable fastening construction may be used as for example a snap fastener instead of a hook and eye. I Although the well-known slide fastener has been disclosed as the means for fastening the slitv edges together, any other suitable fastening means, such as hooks and eyes, lacing and the like may be used for the purpose. Also, while it is preferable in general use to have a single pair of slits, it is to be understood that two pairs of slits may be used or more than two pairs of slits may be used to meet the particular requirements of different types of wearers. Furthermore, it is not necessary that the two slits of a pair be in juxtaposition,- but they may even be on opposite sides of the garment just so long as the lower end of the upper slit extends beyond the upper end any type of covering member of substantially tubular form and dependent upon close fitting for proper use of the same. Furthermore, modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims and the invention may be embodied in any device wherein change in dimension is desired without complete severance.

I claim: l.-A one-piece girdle type garment, said garment being circumferentially continuous and provided with a pair of slits extending from the top and bottom edges respectively, such slits being in overlapping relation to such a degree that when they are open a reasonable increase in the circumference of the garment is effected, each said slit terminating-a substantial distance from the opposite edge of the garment, and releasable means for fastening together the edges of said slits, said fastening means comprising a plurality of fastener elements located on the opposing tedges of said slits and slides for moving said fasening elements into and out of interengagement.

2. A one-piece girdle type garment, ,said garment being circumferentially continuous and provided with a pair of slits extending from the top and bottom edges respectively, such slits being in overlapping relation to such a degree that when they are open a reasonable increase in the circumference of the garment is effected, each said slit terminating a substantial distance from the oppositeedge of the garment, and releasable means for fastening together the edgesof said THEODORE G. ROBINSON. 

